Though I am sorry that you find yourself the owner of a cavalier needing patella surgery, I do not allow people to join the board simply to solicit funds for surgery on their own dog. Especially if we do not even know you and this is your first and only post ever made here. Soliciting money from your own friends and family is more appropriate.

Also: luxating patella is actually a quite common surgery in toy breeds, and it IS covered by insurance -- IF you had taken it out when you first got your puppy (as we always highly recommend on CavalierTalk, especially if you feel that you will not be able to financially cover basic care like this over the life of your dog, as emergencies always arise and can cost thousands).

It is always a good idea for people to research a breed they are interested in very throughly to be aware of possible issues and then weigh up if the breed is the right one for them; and whether insurance is a good idea. :thmbsup:.

You ARE right that it won't be covered now, as it is now a pre-existing condition, and insurance is not designed to be taken out after you need a company to pay for something. The idea of insurance is that you take it out beforehand, to cover any such problems that might arise in future. Cavaliers can have have a lot of potentially costly health issues during their lifespan, of which patella surgery is just one and less expensive than some others -- so insurance would still be a very good idea.

If your dog will suffer as a result of lack of funds to do needed surgery, which I am sure you will want to prevent, then you have a couple of options. One is to arrange to pay off the cost over time -- many vets will work with clients to do this and if one won't, then try another. Another is to make a request to one of the national animal welfare organisations in some countries that will help cover costs for true hardship cases (a national SPCA can advise what organisations, if any, exist). Another is to consider whether it would be better to release your dog to breed rescue if you feel you cannot manage the health costs of the dog -- be aware patella surgery sometimes has to be repeated and you may incur the same cost again, or other future health issues. Breed rescue will generally work to get the surgery costs covered and then rehome the dog to a home that can manage lifetime care.

The best 'insurance' to start with, of course, is only to work with responsible, health focused breeders who properly test their dogs to reduce the chance of health problems in the first place. Problems can however still occur. If a cavalier gets luxating patella, the breeder should be informed as a good breeder will want to know this to help his/her breeding decisions in future.

Buying cheap puppies from small ads, the neighbour who bred their dog irresponsibly, or online, or getting puppies from pet shops, all greatly increase the chance of lifelong health problems.